Jean Michon (From Raffaele de Ritis)

michon.j1, originally uploaded by bucklesw1. I took this picture in 1986 at Circus Moira Orfei in Rome, in a morning rehersal. This act was produced by Walter Nones with an important investment of over three years and a lot of money. The picture was taken the day Mr.Michon was able for the first time to accomplish this trick after months of rehersal. I have been the first ever to take a photograph of this later famous trick. Few months later, this one was the first cat act ever to win a Golden Clown in Monte Carlo, where it was presented by Massimiliano Nones. I remember that for Monte Carlo Mr.Nones built two different sets of sidecar and motor cycle, in case the first one wasn't working, Michon selected the 17 tigers for the act from various dozens bought by Walter Nones. A couple of years later, the act was filmed in Italy by Joe Cates for his "Greatest Circuses of the World" Tv series for the American audience. The act kept to be featured at Circus Moira Orfei for about 15 years or so.